Chicago Rippers

In 1981-82, someone was stalking the women of Chicago. A killer was on the loose who raped and mutilated his victims, always removing their left breasts. It started in May 1981 with the disappearance of Linda Sutton, whose mutilated corpse was found 10 days after her disappearance near the Rip Van Winkle Motel. Police found no clues as to the identity of the killer. A year later, on May 15, 1982, Lorraine Borowski failed to turn up at the Elmhurst realtor's office where she worked. Police found her scattered belongings outside the office door, but didn't find her body until October. After Ms. Borowski disappeared, the killer accelerated his pace. More victims turned up in May, June, August, and September. One was left alive, her breast slashed open, but she couldn't give a helpful description to police. The papers dubbed the killer "Jack the Ripper."

On October 6, a prostitute named Beverly Washington was found slashed, beaten, and raped -- but alive. She provided a good description of her attacker, and on October 20, police arrested Robin Gecht, a former employee of John Wayne Gacy, Jr., on suspicion of kidnapping and rapine Ms. Washington. They didn't have enough proof to hold him, so they released him on the 26th. However, they linked Gecht to three other men who had rented rooms at the Rip Van Winkle Hotel. The manager remembered them as "some kind of cultists." Police tracked down Thomas Kokoraleis, who gave inconsistent answers to their questions. After a failed polygraph and some intense interrogation, Thomas cracked and told the police about the Satanic rituals that took place inside Gecht's apartment.

The little cult consisted of Gecht, Thomas Kokoraleis and his brother Andrew, and Edward Spreitzer. Thomas described how they kidnapped women, led them into the little chapel Gecht had set up, and tortured their victims. They removed one or both breasts with a wire garrote, and each member of the cult would take "communion" by eating a piece of the breast before it was put away in a "trophy" box. At one point, Thomas said he counted 15 breasts in the box.

Armed with this information, police arrested the remaining cult members and searched their apartments. They found the Satanic chapel inside Gecht's apartment and some Satanic literature belonging to Andrew Kokoraleis. By November, they were ready to formally charge the cultists.

Thomas Kokoraleis was charged with the death of Linda Borowski. He had previously confessed to the murder, but later recanted in an attempt to avoid jail time. Nevertheless, he was convicted and sentenced to 70 years in prison.

Andrew Kokoraleis was charged with the rape and murder of Rose Davis. In court, he admitted the the murder and was sentenced to die by lethal injection. He received the death penalty on March 16, 1999.

Edward Spreitzer was convicted of murdering Linda Sutton and sentenced to death.

Robin Gecht confessed to the attack on Beverly Washington and received a sentence of 120 years in prison.